Haitian Gambling Information

Facts About Haiti

Officially known as the Republic of Haiti, the island
is a Latin American country located in the Caribbean.
Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican
Republic. It is also made up of the smaller islands of
Les Cayemites, Ile de Anacaona, La Gonave, Tortuga and
Navasse.

The total area of Haiti is 10,714 square miles. Its
capital is Port-au-Prince. There are 8.8 million people
living in Haiti.

Formerly a French colony, Haiti is the only nation to
successfully lead a slave rebellion. It is also the
first independent black-led republic.

Haiti is divided into 10 departments. In the list
below, the capital city for each department is listed in
parentheses.

Antimonite (Gonaives)

Centre (Hinche)

Grand’Anse (Jeremie)

Nippes (Miragoane)

Nord (Cap-Haitien)

Nord-Est (Fort-Liberte)

Nord-Ouest (Port-de-Paix)

Ouest (Port-au-Prince)

Sud-Est (Jacmel)

Sud (Les Cayes)

Haiti is the poorest country in the western
hemisphere. It was a popular tourist destination in the
1950s, but that has declined due to political
instability, violence and a reportedly high rate of AIDS
infection. As of 2003, it was estimated that 80% of the
country was living in poverty.

The official languages are French and Haitian Creole,
although Spanish is commonly found near the border that
Haiti shares with the Dominican Republic. English is
also spoken on the island, and it can be found more
frequently near tourist destinations.

Gambling Laws in Haiti

Gambling in Haiti is legal. While Haiti only
has two casinos, lottery stands can seemingly be found
on every street corner and even in the small villages.
To gamble in Haitian casinos, you must be at least 18
years of age. Cards and dominoes are also popular
pastimes, and money may change hands during these
contests. Cockfighting is also a popular (and legal)
activity on the island. And the Haitian lottery is also
probably the most popular type of gambling in the entire
country.

Casinos in Haiti

Currently, there are only two legal casinos in
operation within the borders of Haiti. (We don't include
Haiti lottery sales in the count of Haitian casinos.) Keep in mind,
however, that Haitian casinos regulate themselves, so
the payout rate on slot machines might not be as high as
players from other countries have become accustomed to.

The El Rancho Hotel & Casino is open daily from 5pm until 3am,
this casino has 50 gaming machines and 15 table and
poker games (blackjack,
roulette and
poker). There are
two restaurants on the premises of the El Rancho Hotel &
Casino, as well as two bars and
a 95-room hotel. Their website is
http://www.hotelelrancho.com/.

Royal Haitian Hotel and Casino (43 Sonto Nara,
Port-au-Prince, Haiti)

The Royal Haitian Hotel and Casino is open daily from 9pm until close,
this casino has 30 slot machines and six table games
(blackjack, roulette and Caribbean Stud Poker). The
Royal Hatian Hotel and Casino has 500 square feet of gaming space. US dollars
are the accepted form of currency. Both Creole and
English are spoken. For more information, call +509
2-34-3323.

Cockfighting in Haiti

Cockfighting takes place every Sunday in almost every
town and village throughout Haiti. These are very
popular community events, and a great deal of money will
be wagered during a typical day of cockfighting.
Successful trainers also achieve status and become
powerful figures in their community.

Haitian Lottery

The Haitian lottery is like a national pastime in
Haiti. There, it is often known as “borlette.” The
Haitian lottery is
also called Mon Reve or “My Dream,” as many Haitians
select lottery numbers based on visions and dreams.

The Haiti lottery is a serious business in Haiti, as
many residents scrape and save for the chance to win big
on the lottery and escape the poverty surrounding them.
Lottery houses can be found everywhere in Haiti, even in the form
of a folding table set up at the intersection of two
footpaths.

The numbers for private lotteries in Haiti are
usually determined by the winning numbers drawn in
either the New York State Lottery or the Santo Domingo
State Lottery. Locals approve of this method, citing the
magouy of Haiti (magouy means “corruption through
trickery”).